I love to bake almost anything, but I think if I had to choose, then I would say that pies are my favorite thing to bake. Blueberry, apple, strawberry rhubarb - whatever fruit is in season, that's the kind of pie I'll bake.
So imagine my delight when on a whim I stopped at a little roadside produce stand not far from our house and discovered fresh local peaches! Sun-ripened in the nearby orchard.
They were decidedly smaller than ordinary peaches, but after purchasing almost 3 pounds in a brown shopping bag for the unbelievable price of just $2/pound, and sinking my teeth into one of the soft, fuzzy balls on the way home, I realized that I needed to make a peach pie to do them justice.
I used my go-to Pate Brisee recipe which is a simple pie crust that whips up in no time in your food processor, and added just enough sugar to the peaches to accentuate their natural sweetness.
A dash of salt to bring out even more sweetness, and a splash of almond extract.... and then some flour and cornstarch to be sure my pie didn't end up watery... and my pie went into the oven.
After baking to a golden brown on top, then cooling on a wire rack all afternoon, my peach pie was the perfect end to our dinner served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside a hefty slice.
The crust on this pie is buttery and flaky. The filling just sweet enough, and the almond adding nice depth of flavor. My favorite way to bake with fresh, local peaches.
Rustic Fresh Peach Pie
For the Crust
Add the flour, salt and sugar to a food processor. Add the butter and Crisco and pulse for several seconds until you have coarse crumbs.
With the motor running, slowly pour in the ice water (you might not need it all), just until the dough starts to hold together without being wet or sticky, about 30 seconds.
Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
For the Filling
In a large bowl, stir together the peaches, 1/2 cup of sugar, flour, cornstarch, extract and salt.
To Assemble the Pie
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the middle.
Roll out the bottom crust and place in a 9" pie plate or tart pan. Add the filling and top with the butter. Roll out the top crust, and cover the filling, crimping and trimming the edges. Cut slits in the top crust to vent the steam.
Bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the pie from the oven, brush with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown.
Cover the top of the pie with aluminum foil and bake for a final 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling.
Cool on a wire rack for several hours, then slice and serve with vanilla ice cream on the side.
Rustic Fresh Peach Pie
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup Crisco
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 5 to 6 cups of peaches, peeled and sliced (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 egg white, beaten
- Vanilla ice cream, optional
Instructions
- Add the flour, salt and sugar to a food processor. Add the butter and Crisco and pulse for several seconds until you have coarse crumbs.
- With the motor running, slowly pour in the ice water (you might not need it all), just until the dough starts to hold together without being wet or sticky, about 30 seconds.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- In a large bowl, stir together the peaches, 1/2 cup of sugar, flour, cornstarch, extract and salt.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the middle.
- Roll out the bottom crust and place in a 9" pie plate or tart pan. Add the filling and top with the butter. Roll out the top crust, and cover the filling, crimping and trimming the edges. Cut slits in the top crust to vent the steam.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the pie from the oven, brush with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown.
- Cover the top of the pie with aluminum foil and bake for a final 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling.
- Cool on a wire rack for several hours, then slice and serve with vanilla ice cream on the side.
